Coupling-sleeve.



No. 772,578. PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904. I. E. PALMER. COUPLING sEEEvE.

APPLICATION FILED HA8. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Iii/1200x059 I v I flu/mimwwlfy y I 4 7W UNITED STATES Patented. October 18, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC E. PALMER, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

COUPLING-SLEEVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,578, dated October 18, 1904. Application filed March 6, 1903. Serial No. 146,497. (No model.)

1'0 M whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Coupling-Sleeve, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a coupling-sleeve,

with the object in view of providing a simple and efiicient device for coupling together the ends of two pieces of wood or other material, and more particularly for coupling together the ends of two pieces of a hammock or canopy support in such a manner that one or both of them may be readily released and removed from the coupling.

' vation as it appears in use.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of the sleeve in side ele- Fig. 2 is a transverse section in the planeof the line A A of Fig. 1, showing the parts in the position which they assume when the coupling is released. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the parts in the position which they assume when the coupling is closed. Fig. 4 is a view in detail of one of the cam-rings. Fig. 5 is a view in detail of the center piece for locking the parts of the coupling-sleeve in assembled adjustment, the said piece being shown with its wings bent in the form in which it is introduced into the coupling-sleeve in assembling the parts; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section through one of the sleeve sections in the plane of the line A A, before referred to. 7

The sleeve is composed of longitudinal sections, in the present instance three sections, although more or less than three sections might be employed, if so desired. These sections are denoted in the present instance by 1,2, and 3. Each of the sections has its inner face inthe arc of a circle commonto the three sections and is alittle'less than onethird of a circumference in width in .order' that the several sections may be forced toward the longitudinal axis of the sleeve to tightly grip a rod or piece of wood or other material having a circumference corresponding to the circumference of which the inner faces of the transverse sections of the several segments are arcs. The several sections are provided, preferably at equal distances from the center, with a pair of annular flanges or ribs, the members of one pair being denoted by 4 and 5 and the members of the other pair by 6 and 7. The body of the sleeve, intermediate the ribs 4 5 and intermediate the ribs 6 7, is gradually thickenedfrom one edge of the section to the opposite edge, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6, the dotted line in Fig. 6 showing the uniform thickness of the section 2, excepting between the ribs 4 and 5, and the full lines showing the increase of thickness from the edge 8 of-the section to the edge9 of the section. similar in construction, (one of which, 10, is shown in detail in Fig. 1,) are seated the one between the ribs 4 5 and the other between 1 provide it with several lugs, in the present instance three, those on the ring 10 being denoted by 15 16 17, three lugs in similar position being provided on the cam-ring 11.

While I have shown the cam portions 12, 13, and 14: on the ring coacting with cam-sur faces on the plates, due to the gradual thickness of the sleeve-sections from edge to edge where the rings are seated, it is obvious that the ring would work to release the sections if the seats between the ribs were of uniform thickness from edge to edge of the sections. The form herein shown is, however, preferable,as it produces a more rapid closing of the parts under an extended and gradual frictional contact. i In order to hold the parts of the couplingsleeve permanently assembled ready for use and so assembled that they will not unintentionally be thrown out of their relative positions for use, I provide acenter piece,(denoted as a whole by 18,) and for convenience in inserting it I form it with radial wings, one for each section, in the present instance three, (denoted by 19, 20, and 21,) which extend outwardly into proximity to the positions which the three sections of the sleeve would occupy when forced to the limit of their inward movement, and at their outer ends I provide each of the wings with a pin or lug, the said pins being denoted by 22, 23, and 24. These pins or lugs 22 28 24 extend through perforations in the sections 1 2 3 of the sleeve, the perforations being preferably midway in the length of the sleeve and denoted in the present instance by 25, 26, and 27. To insert the center piece in position to hold the parts assembled, 1 first bend the wings of the center piece into the position shown in Fig. 5, so that it may be slid into the end of the sleeve after the sections have been placed in their positions relative to the cam-rings, and when the pins or lugs have been located opposite the holes in the sections I spread the center piece so that the wing shall be in thesame plane by pressure upon one side of the center piece, while it is held against movement on the opposite side, and so force the pins or lugs outwardly through the perforations in the sections and lock the parts in assembled adjustment.

In use when the pieces denoted by 28 and 29 have had their ends placed within the opposite ends of the sleeve against the center piece the cam-rings l0 and 11 may be rotated in a direction to force the sections 1 2 3 into gripping contact with the pieces 28 29, and thus hold them firmly united. \Vhen it is desired to remove the pieces 28 and 29 from the sleeve, the cam-rings may be moved in the opposite direction, thereby releasing the pieces, which may be removed at pleasure.

hat I claim is 1. A coupling-sleeve comprising curved sections or segments, movable toward and away from a common axis, the said sleeve being provided with pairs of transverse ribs on its outer face and cam-rings surroumling the seei tions or segments between the members of each pair of ribs, the said rings being provided with cam portions, one for each segment to force the sections toward the common axis.

2. A coupling-sleeve comprising curved sections or segments arranged to move toward and away from a common axis and provided with pairs oi. ribs on their outer faces, the portions of each segment between the members of a pair of ribs being gradually thickened from edge to edge and cam-rings surrounding the segments between the members of a pair of ribs and provided with cam portions adapted to engage the tapered portions of the sections between the ribs to force them toward a common axis.

3. A coupling-sleeve comprising longitudinal segments arranged to move toward and away from a common axis, cam-rings surrounding the segments and provided with cam portions arranged to force the segments toward the common axis and a center piece provided with pins or lugs engaged with the longitudinal sections for holding the center piece in position, the center piece at the same time serving to lock the segments and camrings in assembled adjustment.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of February, 1903.

ISAAC E. PJUAIER.

\Vitnesses: 7

thus. M. Sauna, PAUL S. CAI-mien. 

